Reggie Aguiluz, the San Diego-born-and-raised designer and creator of the avant-garde Californian label Vanteria Di Eleganza, shares in this interview with us a few things about his brief but promising trip into the world of fashion.
F: Is your black, white & grey palette connected somehow to the message of supremacy, leadership and sexy, powerful elegance you want to convey?
VDE: Yes, I implement dark palettes in my designs to enhance the sexy, leader-type mentality. The palettes define the atmosphere/attitude of the design.
F: Which are the features and words that describe your style and attitude in fashion?
VDE: Power, Leadership, Knowledge & Fore sight. Palettes define the attitude in fashion, to be a fashion leader one must have knowledge of style & one who has knowledge of style has great fore sight in fashion.
F: How do you explain your close relationship or attachment to denim?
VDE: Denim is an amazing fabric, but its not the fabric that I’m attached to – it’s the treatments & options available to apply to the fabric.
F: Which are your favorite fabrics and materials and what do you want to achieve through them?
VDE: My favorite fabrics are triblends, leathers, and denim. When designing with these fabrics my goal is to create clean/powerful pieces by displaying each fabric’s pros through the construction of each design I make.
F: Details such as slits, transparencies, lace and zippers can be characterized as seductive and provocative. Is that your goal?
VDE: I wouldn’t say provocative is my goal. I would say people who aren’t afraid to make fashion-forward statements is my goal.
F: Can you tell us a few things about your techniques and the ways you process denim and work on other fabrics or leather?
VDE: Denim is actually one of the toughest fabrics to work with along with leather. I would say creating different washes is my favorite part of processing denim.
F: Which fashion icons or which type of women do you have in mind when you are in the process of creating a new collection?
VDE: I admire women who started a movement and are remembered by their power whether that be a historical figure (Rosa Parks), Fictional figure (Mary Fitzgerald/Million Dollar Baby) &/or a fashion figure (Coco Chanel).
F: Do you have some kind of vision or inspiration for the Spring/Summer 2012 Collection?
VDE: Yes this spring/summer collection will be a little different from what my clients are use to seeing from VDE. I am looking to open up the palettes to a more exotic feel with the use of different skins and colors. I’ve been traveling so much and grabbing different sceneries to implement in the new VDE handbags & collection.
F: Does your interaction with street fashion, fashionistas and bloggers influence your work somehow?
VDE: To be honest I don’t tend to read up on most of the blogs out there. I am so busy I barely have time for myself. However, when I am out and about, street fashion does influence me. I love seeing what people wear in different parts of the world. I will sometimes take pictures or mental notes on some outfits I liked, to create something similar.
F: Which is your own definition of the ‘it’ girl? Does your fashion targets ‘it’ girls? It seems that many of them in Hollywood love your collections!
VDE: I would say the “IT” girl is someone who is making moves in their career and having a style the public eye adores and wants to be a apart of. VDE does target the “IT” girl because we are all about power, motivation, and being separated from the crowd. When people wear VDE they stand out and get attention.
F: How do you describe your Fall/Winter 2011/12 Collection? Is it a continuation of your previous work or a breakthrough?
VDE: That collection was inspired by the fashion lifestyle in China. I flew out there, made the collection in 2 weeks, and my team and I shot the whole campaign out in the mainland of Guangzhou. It has a little bit of everything for every fashionista, def. a breakthrough.
